Flexible packing



May 25, l931.- N. N. voLolrnMlFeovA 'I 1,807,139

FLEXIBLE PACKING Filed spt. 15, 1.926 z'sheets-sneer 1 'FlIq-.L

ATTORNEYS May 2.6, 1931.

` N. N. voLoDlMlRoV y 1 FLEXIBLE PACKING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15, 1926 Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLEXIBLE PACKING application mei september 1a, 192s. se'riai No. 135,011.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in flexible packing, and particularly to flexible non-metallic tubular ackng to be substituted for Ordinar stu gboxes. This tubular packing wor s almost without friction,

does not require any grease, and can withstand a very hi h outside pressure.

An object o the invention is to provide an improved. iiexible non-metallic packing which will form an effective hermetic joint for various kinds of machinery working under pressure of liquid, air, gas or steam, 1n which all forms of rotary oscillating, continuous rotating and reciprocating motions are emplo ed. t

Other objects will appear more clearly in the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate different applica- 2 0 tions of the invention. In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through an apparatus wherein an oscillatory movement ofparts is employed and illustrating one form of the invention in connection therewith;

lFigure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sec-'- tion through anot er apparatus embodying a reciprocating movement and illustrating a diierent form of the invention in connection withthe same;

Figure 3' is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the invention in connection with a reciprocating valve apparatus; A y,

Figure 4 is a similar view showing a different form of the invention in connection with a. liquid meter of known type;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the packing member employed in connection with Figure 4; l

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating a similar type of meter andan-l other form of the invention in connection u. therewith; Y

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the apparatus shown in Figure Gillustrating a means for attaching the packing members in position; Figure 8 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a form of packing such as used in Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a fragmentarylongitudinal section of a still further forni of apparatus in which another embodiment of the invention is used for continuous rotating motion;

Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of the packing employed in Figure 9; and

Figure 11 is a sectional view showing a somewhat similar construction to that illustrated in Figure 9.

The apparatus shown in Figure 1 consists of a cylinder 11 adapted to contain gas, steam or liquid under pressure and having an oscillatory member 12 therein provided with la shaft 13 which extends through the cover 14 of the cylinder. The outer end of the shaft 13 is connected by a crank 15 to a connecting rod 16 which is adapted to oscillate the shaft.

vIn order to prevent leakage of the gas, steam or liquid along the shaft 13 and through its bearing inthe cover 14 of the cylinder, a iexible non-metallic tubular packing 17 is provided, one end of which is tied or hermetically connectedatlS to the shaft 13 and at its other end similarly secured to a boss or vprojection 19 formed upon the inner face of the cover 14 thus surrounding the portion of the shaft having its bearing in said cover.. Due tothe flexible' nature of thefpacking A17 the same is capable-of a torsional twist when the shaft 13 is oscillated by the operation of the member 16.

The application-'of theinvention to apparatus embodying a' reciprocating motion is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. In Figure 2 the apparatus 'is shown as consisting of a cylinder 20 in which is-mounted for reciprocation the piston 21 having a rod 22 which extends through a neck 23 of the cylinder and also through the cover 24 secured to' said neck. The'exible packing 25 employed inthis embodiment of the invention and utilized to make the cylinder 21 liguidtight, is also in the form of a tube havin its outer end secured between the flange` o the neck 23 andthe cover 24 and its inner end fastened to the rod 22 ad'acent the piston 21. The packing surroun s the v piston rod and a spring 26V is coiled about said rod and interposed between the same and the packing. This spring assists in producing uniform folds in the packing when the latter is collapsed by the outward movement of the piston 21 and also aids in straightening out said folds when said piston moves in the opposite direction. Furthermore, the spring reduces frictional wear of the packing by preventing the friction of inner surface of packing upon the rod and l thereby prolongs the life of the packing. A

construction o this character also avoids the necessity of using a lubricant for the packin In Figure 3 there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention used with a poppet valve. Chamber 27 contains liquid, steam or gas under pressure `and valve 28 is mounted for opening and closing the valve seat 29. The valve stem 30 extends through a cover 31 and in order to avoid leakage through said cover'the flexible tubular packing 32 is employed. One end of this packing is clamped between the cover and the ange of the cylinder, while the other end thereof is tied or otherwise'secured at 33 to the stem 30 adjacent the valve 28. Due to the flexible nature of the packing the same is adapted to collapse in the direction .of its length, as shown in Fi 1re 3, when the valve 28 is reciprocated an due to the fact that the packing tube is 'clamped tight at both ends it forms an effective closure to vprevent leakage of the liquid, steam or gas through the cover 31.

In Fi e 4 there is illustrated more or less conventionally a liquid meter including a housing 34 provided therein with a disc Ychamber 35 consisting of two substantially cone-shapedand oppositel disposed parts in which a disc 36 is adapt -torotate and also oscillate about'the ball 37 under the iniiuence of the liquid flowing through the disc chamber 35. Above the chamber 35 and forming a part of the housing there is provided a chamber 38 and at the upper end inside thereof is a substantially tubular member 39 having its vouter end secured to the'housing and its ,inner end reduced, as indicatedat 40.

The outer end of the member 39 is closed by a cover 41 in which the shaft 42 of a registermgmechanism. employed in connection with a meter of this'type, has a bearing. The inner end cfthe shaft 42 carries a guide roller 43 whichY bears" the upper. end of a pm or rod 44, the lower end of which is se- 'cured to the ball 37. As this ball'rotat 'and oscillates in accordance withthe movements of the disc 36the u per end ofthe rod 44 describes an arc an en a finger 45 extending laterall from the roller 43 so that the shaft 42 wi be rotated to operate the registering mechanism. It is desirable to protect the. shaft 42 and all its associated parts against the inlue'nce and pressure of any li uid, suchas water, which couldesqape from t e disc chamber 35 into the chaniberv -53 of said ho 38 and to prevent the escape of such liquid from chamber 38 to member *39 and to the register, to make the inside of the cone and of the member 39 dry and under atmospheric pressure only and to avoid any pachlng on shaft 42. For this purpose a flexible packing element is employed which is of substantially inverted cone shape with the larger end secured to the reduced end 40 of the member 39, as indicated at 47 and its smaller end similarly secured at 48 about the enlargement 49 of the rod 44. Any liquid which may escape into the chamber 38 may build up a pressure therein and to avoid the possibility of any excess pressure collapsing the packe ing member 46 the same isbraced by a substantially inverted conical shaped, stiii,non

viexible member 50 projecting downwardly through the reduced inner end of the member 39 and supporting the wall of said packtion of a disc meter isishown consisting of a housing 53 having a disc chamber 54 therein of substantially the same conguration as the disc chamber 35. AThe upper portion of the housing 53 is provided with a centrally disposed annular wall 55 forming a neck of the disc chamber and providing a chamber 56 above said chamber 54, while the lower half -is likewise formed with an. inwardly exten ing wall 57 also Ajoining the lower portion of the disc chamber 54.*- A disc 58 similar to the disc 36 is mounted within the casing 54 for rotaly and'oscillatory movements and is plrlovid with the central curved rtion 59 w 'ch projects into the lower portion of thechamber 56. The disc 58 'is 'supported by .a universal joint structure 60, one of the elements of which has a bearin in the upper end of the wall 57 of the housing.

In the center of said joint is pivoted the lower .65 secured to the shaft 64 so that as the 58 is rotated and oscillated the up r end of the rod 'will be caused to describe an arc and in en g the iinger 65 .will rotatethe shaft 64. order to prevent leakage through the central part of the disc 58 into the chamber 56 and also the chamber formed by the wall 57 two flexible packing elements 66 are emlloyed. Each of these elements, as shown in igure 8, is of tube-like formation and constricted intermediate its ends so that the portions of the Wall thereofon the opposite sides of tlieconstriction may be collapsed one against the other bythe movements of .the disc 58 when the packing element is in to the underside of the disc 58 and the other ing the leakage of liquid ast said Wall` of said element secured to the lower wall of the disc chamber 54, thereby preventacking element and into the cham er formed: by the wall 57 in which the universal joint 60`is located, so that chamber 56 and chamber inside the AvWall 57.are dry and relieved 'from the pressure of liquid.

As a 'means-for securing lthe walls of the packing element 66 to the disc and the walls of the discchambenthere are provided bevsaid packing` element is secured. Suitable vconnected thereto the central enlarged tion 83 ci therod 72 so as topermit the eled retaining rings 67 (Figure 7), one of which 1s en ageable with the edge of each Wall of eac .packing ,element 66 with'said edge interposed between the ring andthe disc or the wall of the disc chamber to which fasteners 68 are extended through the retaining ring, packing element, and into the surface to W ich the latter is secured so as lto adequately fasten the packing elements in position.

In the apparatus shown in Figure 9,where'- in the continuous rotary motion of one ele` ment is utilized to transmit rotation to another element, a ulley 69 is driven from a suitable source cip power by a belt 70 to impart rotation to the crank -arm `71. secured to the shaft of said pulley. Therotary motion of this crank arm is transmittedby means of a rod 72 to a dise 73 keyedto the trunnio'n 7 1 of a drum or rotatable Vcylinder 'Z5 mounted` vWithin the casing 76, oneend of-the rod 72 being loosely disposed'wthinan opening 77 in the crank 71, while theothenend of. said rod is similarly disposed vinandpe'nin l7B 1n the d1sc 73. The Iatterdisc andassoclated parts are enclosed withina4 housing Z9-sei ends of said rod to describe an arc under the influence of the crank arm 71 and thus transmit the rotation thereof to the disc'73 and consequently the drum or cylinder 75. A ball socket can be used instead of universal joint 82, 83.y To prevent any leakage of a liquid from the chamber formed by the housing. 79 throu h the opening 81 the flexible nonmetal ic packing element 84 is employed. This element, as shown in Figure` 10, is also of tube-'likeforination and provided at one end with a flange 85 of sufficient diameter 81 vand held in position to close the operi-in on the support v y means of av clam ing plate 86. The tubular portion ofthe pac ing element surrounds the part of the .rod 72 extending into the chamber formed by the housing 79 and the extremit of said tubular ortion is secured to the ro by any suitable astening means 87. In this manner any leakage of liquid along the rod 7 2 and through the opening 81 is prevented. In order to avoid collapslng of the flange of the packing, dueto any pressure which might be gener.- ated-within the chamber formed by the housing 79, there is provided a rigidnon-fiexible bracing element 88,'in the form of a plate,

disposed exteriorly of the iiange 85 and also held in position on the support 8O by means of the clamping plate 86.

Figure 11 shows the same nism, except that a tapered roller 89 is used instead .of disc 73. The rod 72 rests in a groove in the roller 89 and revolves together with the roller and the shaft 74. The purdescribed mechapose of theroller 89 is to eliminate the eddy currents in the liquid.

What is claimed is In. an ap aratus wherein fluid under pressure is utillzed, the combination with a sta- 1 tionery element' having a securing surface, and a vmovable rod extendlng angularl to capable of expansion and'contraction in aecordance with the movements of said rod, said packin having one end secured directly to ly from the rod and attachedto said surface,

saidpacking snu ly fitting said rod between vpacking extends angularly .said surface; of -a flexible tube-like pac ing 1 10v said ro and its other end extendngangularv In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature.

NICHOLAS N. YOLODIMI-ROV.

One member 820i a universal joint 'lis mount-:i

ed within theopeningv 8 1l and has pivotally" 

